Fostoria votes to ban medical marijuana for one year

FOSTORIA, OH (WTOL) - Back in June, Governor Kasich signed House Bill 523, which will make medicinal marijuana legal in Ohio starting on Thursday. But the state decision is seeing some confrontation in local governments.

While Ohio will become the 25th state to legalize medicinal marijuana, Fostoria became one of the first cities in our area to ban it for a year. The unanimous vote Tuesday night puts a one year moratorium on any medicinal marijuana within the city.

The ordinance was brought before city council by Mayor Eric Keckler. He says he was not ready to allow dispensaries to setup shop in the city before the state has ironed out all of the details of the law.

Most medical marijuana rules won't need to be in place until September of next year.

"So, we wanted to have the opportunity to get some time for the community to be prepared to see where this is going to go." said Keckler.

Officials says allowing marijuana within the city would go against Federal Law, which is another reason for the vote.

Councilman Mathew Davoli says he would want the Federal government and the State to come to an agreement before he says yes.

"The Federal government has been randomly enforcing a law and I really think they should get their act together and decide one way or the other." said Davoli. "Either we have a law or we don't have a law. Either enforce it, or we repeal it."

The ruling does not mean no to medical marijuana in Fostoria forever, it just means not right now.

"Who knows, in a year if this things isn't hashed out we could come back before city council and see if we can't extend the moratorium," said Davoli.

City councils in Findlay and Bowling Green also discussed banning medicinal marijuana Tuesday night, but both councils put their votes on hold.